A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Poyntz, Stephen
POYNTZ. (Admiral of the White, 1841.)
Stephen Poyntz died 12 May, 1847, at his seat, Bedhampton, near Portsmouth, aged 78. He was descended from the Right Hon. Stephen Poyntz, of Midgham, co. Berks, whose daughter married John, first Earl Spencer, grandfather of the present peer.
This officer entered the Navy, 11 March, 1784, on board the Blenheim, Capt. Boxer, lying at Plymouth. In the course of the same year he sailed for the coast of Africa in the Grampus, Capt. Thompson; and, in 1785-6, he served at Newfoundland in the Winchelsea, Capt. Pellew. After cruizing for a few months on the Halifax station in the Adamant 50, Capt. Knox, he was there, 1 Jan. 1791, made Lieutenant into the Thisbe, Capt. George. He next, in Jan. 1793, joined the Leda frigate, Capt. Campbell, attached to the force in the Mediterranean. He attained the rank of Commander, 31 Oct. 1795, in the Childers sloop, on the Channel station; was made Post, 5 Dec. 1796, into the Camilla 24, also employed in the Channel; and was subsequently appointed – 16 Aug. 1797, to the Solebay 32, in the West Indies – 1 Jan. 1801, to the Beaulieu 40, in the Channel, where he remained vmtil May, 1802 – 7 Aug. 1804, to the Melampus 36, on the Home and West India stations – 14 Oct. 1806, for two months, to the Tartar 32, at Halifax – and 13 Feb. 1810, to the Edgar 74, in which ship he served in the Baltic until the following Dec. In the Childers Capt. Poyntz effected the capture, 14 Sept. 1796, of La Bonne Espérance privateer, of 2 swivels and 25 men; and, in company with the Melampus, Capt. Graham Moore, aided in taking, 13 Nov. following, Aetna corvette, of 18 guns, pierced for 20. During his command of the Solebay he made prize, in the course of 1798, of the privateers Augustine of 2 guns and 23 men, Destin of 4 guns and 46 men, and Prosperite of 8 guns and 61 men; besides gallantly enforcing the surrender, 24 Nov. 1799, off the island of St. Domingo, of a French squadron, consisting of L’Egyptienne armed store-ship, of 20 guns and 137 men, Eole ship-corvette, of 18 guns and 107 men, Levrier brig-corvette, of 12 guns and 96 men, and Vengeur schooner, of 8 guns and 91 men. Capt. Poyntz was in command of the Beaulieu in 1801, when the boats of that ship and of the Doris and Uranie frigates cut out La Chevrette corvette, of, 20 guns and 350 men, one of the most surprising exploits of the kind ever achieved.[1] In the Melampus we find him capturing two brigs, each carrying two long 24-pounders, one 18-pounder, and 50 men, most of them soldiers;[2] four luggers of one long 18-pounder and 25 men each, from Bordeaux bound to Brest; and a Spanish privateer, the Hydra, of 28 guns and 192 men, 3 of whom were killed and several wounded before she surrendered.[3] In Sept. 1806, being in the same ship in company with the Belleisle and Bellona 74’s, he contributed to the destruction, off Cape Henry, of the French 74 L’Impétueux. He became a Rear-Admiral 12 Aug. 1819, a Vice-Admiral 22 July, 1830, and a full Admiral 23 Nov. 1841.
Admiral Poyntz married in Oct. 1802. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.